Online and in-person orders are collected at the Pick-up Zone. The Peacock Cafe, the Zoo’s restaurant, has also reopened, but guests are only allowed inside to order food. as they won’t be available at the Zoo, and workers thoroughly clean the Zoo before and after guests arrive and during the day as well. Guests are required to wear masks while visiting the Zoo, and are encouraged to bring their own strollers, wheelchairs, etc.
In the midst of Covid-19, the Beardsley Zoo remains open, just with some added precautions. The Connecticut Zoological Society established the Connecticut Beardsley Zoo (CBZ)’s Conservation Fund in 2002 to support conservation efforts worldwide, and a Conservation Pledge is available with ways people can make sustainable choices and reduce their carbon footprint. Many of these creatures are endangered or vulnerable in the wild, and the workers are dedicated to their mission of conservation and spreading the message of how everyone can help these wild species. The zoo cares for 350 animals each day, focusing on North and South American as well as some Asian species. Dawn Davis, a science teacher at Foran.ĭavis says, “In terms of conservation and helping animals that are going extinct, definitely have a purpose.” The Beardsley Zoo was a favorite place to go during the summertime for Mrs. In general, most zoos are helpful to species in protecting them and trying to make an environment that would be the next best thing to their home. Popular among the young and old alike, Connecticut’s only zoo is a fan favorite for many events, including birthday parties, educational opportunities, or weddings. Although the road no longer passes over the Setzer bridge, you can walk over and find the pathway lined with large trees on both sides, another classic Olmsted feature.Īs you take a slow drive around this park it is hard to imagine that your visual experience was planned in 1884 and is still being manipulated by Frederick Law Olmsted to this day.Many Foran students growing up in Connecticut can recall a memory of attending the Beardsley Zoo. The 1921 pedestrian bridge and the Setzer Memorial Bridge (1918) both have arch forms and are created from granite block. The two stone bridges within the park also reflect classic Olmsted features. The city appropriately adjusted to the needs of modern times by adding ballfields and picnic areas within the open fields (or greenswards) but keeping them near the roads. Although Olmsted preferred to separate active and passive recreation he did mention "the need of additional level ground for games."(1) in the park. The main road follows two loops around 'greenswards,' traveling along the site’s rolling topography and leading through wooded areas by a running stream. On the right is the Zoo, which was established in 1922. As the road straightens, the view melds to a large open field that softly slopes to Bunnell's Pond. As you enter from Noble Avenue you are led to a slight curve in the road where you will catch a view of the pedestrian bridge added in 1921 that connects the “mainland” to a small island.
It is a better picnic ground than any possessed by the city of New York after spending twenty million dollars for parks." (1) Although Olmsted never envisioned the Zoo within the park, it has become a beloved and significant attraction.īeardsley Park will provide the visitor with a classic Olmstedian park experience. "It is just the place for a day's outing. Olmsted's vision of the park presented to the city in 1884 is remarkably similar to what you will see today. Beardsley Park is a unique Connecticut treasure, with the only Zoological Garden (Beardsley Zoo) in the state nestled in its 125 acres of rolling parkland.